Debates of Nov. 30th, 1998

Diabetes Awareness Month

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the last day of Diabetes Awareness Month. Every eight minutes a Canadian is diagnosed with this disease.

It is a major cause of premature death, blindness, kidney disease and stroke. Diabetes is a leading cause of premature heart disease in women. Twice as many women will die from diabetes as from breast cancer.

Diabetes increases with age and affects more than 10% of Canadians over the age of 65.

In Kitchener and the surrounding area it is estimated that 5% of the population has diabetes.

This disease can hit anyone. It touches my own family.

I extend my best wishes and thanks to the Kitchener-Waterloo association in reaching its target of $30,000.

There is a renewed momentum and urgency in diabetic research that a cure will be found. Breakthroughs are being made.

With the efforts of the Canadian Diabetes Association and all Canadians we will find a cure for Megan Fitzpatrick and the 1.1 million diabetics in Canada.

The Late Casey Smith

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Casey Smith, the beloved coach of the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds football team, died of cancer last Wednesday, November 25, at the age of 39.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Frank Smith, who coached the UBC Thunderbirds to Vanier Cups in 1982 and 1986, Casey Smith played several years for the UBC Thunderbirds before himself becoming head coach.

Casey Smith had a passion for sports which he shared generously with other people. His courage in the last months of his life was an inspiration to his players. He will be dearly missed.

The University Of Saskatchewan Huskies

[Roy H. Bailey, Reform, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies can now be properly crowned the Canadian football team of the nineties.

The Huskies captured their third Vanier Cup national title in the SkyDome last Saturday when they defeated the talented team from Concordia University.

The Huskies have dominated Canadian university football for many years. Professional coaching, team loyalty and, above all, the Saskatchewan tradition of never yielding to adverse conditions distinguish them.

We congratulate Canadian university football in Canada. The tradition continues to grow and Canadians from coast to coast appreciate the dedication and the sportsmanship displayed by these young men.

Again, congratulations to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the football team of the nineties.

The Late Father David John Corkery

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the entire Catholic community in the Ottawa-Carleton region is in mourning today at the death of Father David John Corkery.

While he has been honoured for his significant contributions to the church, to many of us, for most of our adult lives, he was simply Father Corkery.

Those who served mass at his altar when he was first ordained remember that he could never be rushed, because for him each celebration of the mass was an important expression of his faith.

Throughout his life among us he was truly a saintly, humble and gentle man. We say farewell to him with a deep sense of personal loss and extend to his family, friends and parishioners our deepest sympathy.

Financial Crisis In Agricultural Industry

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, many Canadian farmers are now facing a serious financial crisis. Not only the Prairie grain producers but also the pork producers, particularly those in my riding, are being hit particularly hard. What is happening now reminds me of the farm crisis in Ontario in the early 1980s.

I can understand the anguish farmers experience because of these difficulties. A farm crisis puts Canadian family farms in jeopardy, and has a considerable negative impact on the entire agri-food industry.

This crisis prompts us to examine not only long term solutions to the problems facing farmers, but also, and more important, to work with the agricultural community toward a short term solution to deal with this crisis.

I reiterate that my Liberal colleagues and I support an appropriate and speedy response to farmers' needs.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the United Nations Human Rights Conference was held in Edmonton, while across town an aboriginal summit was held by a new grassroots aboriginal group, Aboriginals for Accountability.

While Canada's justice minister paid lip service to human rights at the high profile event, grassroots aboriginal Canadians were listing basic human rights that are being ignored by their leadership, by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and by this government.

The rights being denied them include: freedom of speech, freedom from persecution for political views and freedom from persecution based on race. This is coming from their leadership as well as from non-aboriginals.

They also talked about scandalous living conditions, poor health care and jobs being awarded to the band leaderships' friends and families.

This government has virtually ignored these problems for years. Things are getting worse. Clearly, this government's words are much, much more than its actions.

Canadian Farmers

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pork producers are selling hogs for about half the cost of production, with a huge oversupply in the marketplace, with weak demand and foreign subsidies further distorting the market.

It is a complex problem with no easy answers. Indeed, during hearings at the agriculture committee, five presenters will have five different solutions.

As many farmers in my riding have told me, they want an equitable arrangement, which is fair across the country, that does not just bailout bad business practices but fully recognizes the devastating price drop. Our safety net system is designed to address the normal fluctuations in market income. It cannot address a market crisis of this dimension.

We urge the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, with his provincial colleagues and the producers, to help the industry through this current crisis while being sensitive to the Canadian taxpayer.

Brain Injuries

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the tragedy of brain injuries affects over 1,200 Nova Scotians every year. The direct impact of these tragedies ranges from severe physical debilitation to cognitive trauma such as memory loss and impaired judgment, as well as tragic behavioural and psychological effects, including depression and dramatic personality change. Of those affected by brain injury, 12% will never be able to be alone or look after themselves. One in five will never be able to return to a job.

This government has a duty and a responsibility to do everything in its power to ensure that it does not compound the trauma. The government must closely examine aspects of its health policies, pension provisions, including the CPP, and justice issues relating to the impact of people struggling to deal with these injuries.

I am pleased to conclude by commending the ongoing efforts of the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia.

Info Medic Watch Plaque

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of ingenuity at work in my riding of Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert.

Louise Dodier, a woman in my riding, has invented a product she calls “Info Medic Watch”. It is an alternative solution for those who need to wear an emergency alert bracelet to indicate that they have a drug allergy or a condition requiring particular precautions, such as epilepsy or diabetes.

Info Medic is a gold or silver plaque which attaches solidly to a watch bracelet. The individual's medical information is engraved on the back. More than 80 Canadian jewellers offer this Quebec invention for sale.

My congratulations, and best wishes for continuing success, to Mrs. Dodier.

Firearms Act

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the regulations under the Liberal government's ill-conceived Firearms Act will begin to take effect in this country.

Despite the lack of evidence that this government's law will reduce crime-related activity, despite the spiralling costs to establish a new bureaucracy and despite the Supreme Court of Canada challenge by four provinces and two territories, the Liberal government proceeds at full throttle. Even worse, the Liberals have insidiously spent taxpayers' dollars to surreptitiously promote the Firearms Act as a crime reduction measure when it should be better labelled “the false hope act”.

The opportunity exists for the government to step back from this costly boondoggle. As well intentioned as the legislation might be, the focus should be on real crime prevention and crime fighting initiatives, focusing on the root causes of crime, improving Canadian police investigative computer systems, implementing a DNA data bank registry and allocating more resources to front line policing. Let us put the priorities straight and stop this costly measure now.

Canadian Hemophilia Society

[Réginald Bélair, Liberal, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, November was hemophilia month.

Hemophilia is a blood clotting problem and affects approximately one male in 5,000. A third of the new cases of hemophilia occur in families with no history of the disease.

The Canadian Hemophilia Society provides support and services to Canadians with this disease and to their caregivers. It also informs the public and professionals about it and encourages support through pairing in the hemophiliac community.

In 1998-99, Health Canada gave the Canadian Hemophilia Society $50,000 to help develop services for the future. The society is also very active nationally, where it promotes a safe blood supply in Canada.

I would ask you to join me in congratulating the Canadian Hemophilia Society on its tireless work on behalf of those suffering from this disorder.

Parliamentary Interns' Food Drive

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some 120,000 people in the Ottawa area have incomes below the poverty line and some 35,000 of them obtain food aid monthly. Nearly half the people receiving food aid are children.

To provide help to these people over the holidays, the parliamentary interns have decided to organize a food drive. Between November 30 and December 11, boxes for non-perishable items will be placed in the cafeterias of the Centre, East and West blocks and the Wellington and Confederation buildings.

The parliamentary interns will also be visiting office staff to remind them of their drive and to collect food and money for the Outaouais and Ottawa-Carleton food banks.

Many families are counting on our generosity.

Financial Institutions

[Gary Pillitteri, Liberal, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as one of the 54 MPs and senators who signed the recent report of the national Liberal caucus task force, “A Balance of Interests”, I find it appalling now to be the focus of intimidating correspondence sent by people in managerial positions within the banks.

They allege that by my doing so, as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance, I am now in a conflict of interest and should resign.

I do not want to justify my actions in any way. I would, however, say that I, like my colleagues, signed the report because, in our view, it reflected quite accurately the views of men and women, ordinary Canadians, the main shareholders of the banks and of Canada.

That does not mean in any way that we are not open to other suggestions or will not listen to other arguments that will be made in the best interests of all Canadians.

Netherlands Mills

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, most Canadian workers believe that the EI fund they pay into is there to help them through work interruption, slowdowns or wage cutbacks.

However, we will not convince the employees of Netherlands Mills in Prince George of that. These workers have just seen their wage top-up program arbitrarily cancelled by this government, despite a promise that would continue until March 1999.

Some Christmas present from this Liberal government.

Now not only are the Liberals about to scoop the $7 billion in extra surplus in the EI fund, they are also reneging on a promise made to the sawmill workers at Netherlands Mills in Prince George.

While these mill workers will be going short this Christmas, we can bet there is not going to be any shortage of turkeys at the Liberal Christmas party this year.

Yukon Air Traffic Control

[Louise Hardy, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, when Navigation Canada was privatized the minister promised there would be no reduction in services.

However, Yukon's only air traffic control tower will be closed down because of this privatization. This will throw all of the employees out of work, as well leave travellers and air traffic workers vulnerable to accidents.

In one way or another, this Liberal government has reduced basic services to the north, such as flood watch warnings. The weather control station is no longer with us. The stay in school initiative has been discontinued and now the air traffic control tower will be closed down.

I would like to let the government know that we want it back.

Chinese Cultural Centre Of Vancouver

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I was very pleased to attend the 25th anniversary of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Vancouver. This organization has worked successfully for 25 years in Vancouver to build bridges of understanding and intercultural exchange in B.C.

I was honoured to present the organization with a grant of $250,000 to construct a presentation theatre as part of its new $3.7 million cultural facility. The money was granted as part of the Canada-B.C. infrastructure works program which funded over 400 projects valued at $675 million and created more than 9,000 jobs.

I congratulate the Chinese Culture Centre for its work in celebrating Canadian diversity.

Health

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, nurses at 41 hospitals in British Columbia have threatened to go on strike and hundreds of surgeries have had to be rescheduled. The nurses' union says the province needs at least 1,400 nurses to keep up with health care demands, and the province says they can only afford 600 because of federal cuts to health care transfers.

Is it not true that under the government's health policies health care is now in trouble in every province in Canada?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has made clear that health care will be the subject of our next major reinvestment as indeed it is.

The matters to which the member refers are between the province and its nursing unions. What the province of British Columbia chooses to do in relation to its priorities in relation to its nursing unions is a matter for the province to determine.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, nearly 200,000 Canadians are on waiting lists and now with this threatened nurses strike in B.C. thousands more must wait.

The government seems to think that sick people and Canadians are fooled by the argument that if $7 billion is taken out of the transfers and $2 billion put back somehow the health care users are ahead. This is a shell game that the public simply does not accept any more.

Is it not true that the government's real health care legacy is hospital closures, waiting lists, strikes and now a shortage of both doctors and nurses?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, at the same time that we had to make cuts in all programs we had to recognize that the tax points increased. With our prudent fiscal policies we were able to have much lower interest rates which gave the provinces much more room to manoeuvre. We have increased transfers by $1.5 billion in order that health care could be protected.

Members will find when they examine it that the provinces have cut their contribution to health care more than the federal government—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this is a shell game. In 1993 when the government was elected the federal government contributed 16% to covering B.C.'s health care costs. Today its contribution is down to 10%. Hospital waiting lists are at record levels and they are to increase in British Columbia.

My question is to anyone over there that can answer it. Does the government not see the connection between its health care policies and deteriorating health care in all the provinces of Canada?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, we will take our share of the blame for any cuts in health, but let us be very clear. Our cuts in transfers in that area were 1.5%. That is a very small cut when we look at the overall expenditures on the entire health care system, which is about $80 billion a year.

Yes, we will take our share of the blame at a time when we had to exercise fiscal restraint because of the terrible mess we were left, but we will not take the blame for all the cuts.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, B.C. has increased its spending in health care for seven years running. It is trying to make up for the mess that the federal government has put us in.

What has the Prime Minister done about these costs? We have seen an admission now that it will accept some of the blame for health care costs. Transfers to B.C. have gone from 16% down to 10%.

Once upon a time in fairy tale land the Liberals promised never to pay less than 50% of the health care costs for British Columbia and every other province.

Why has the Prime Minister insulted all British Columbians, the provincial government, the nurses and every patient who is waiting?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians share our government's concern for the state of health care in the country and that is why, in spite of very difficult circumstances, we insisted on increasing the cash component of the CHST.

We put in place the CHST in order to protect the principles of the Canada Health Act. We are a party that has firmly stood against any erosion of the principles of the Canada Health Act and you are the party that has wanted to go about and—